Waiting Games
by Secondhand Soul
Summary: Anna hated waiting games, but occasionally, and only occasionally, the wait was worth it.


Anna hated waiting games.

Always when they went to the city, he kept her locked away here like a prisoner, staring out the window listlessly every so often, looking out onto the tan cobbles to try and see if he had returned. It was lonely here, though she understood why she had to wait. If she had thought that Kratos was being unreasonable for one moment she would have left to go find him, but this time he really did have a point.

Feeling restless, she sighed and began to pace the room, glancing toward the door every so often, as if expecting him to return at any moment.

Really, he could, and probably would. Kratos had a habit of showing up fashionably late and then demanding everyone follow his schedule. She knew him well enough now to know that's just what he would pull with her now; Anna wouldn't even be surprised if he came back and decided that they were to leave this very night instead of the next day, as they had originally planned.

Cities, especially big cities like Palmacosta, always made him edgy, and with good reason. Though it might seem like it was a good idea to hide in plain sight, the people who were chasing them could always exploit them here, as Kratos had explained to her again and again. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the fact that they could only get proper medical supplies in this big city, they wouldn't even be here.

But first aid was necessary even with Kratos' healing ability and their gels. Broken bones couldn't be mended with the level of magic he possessed, and though gels could sooth lacerations and abrasions, they could do nothing for sprains. It was especially necessary with Noishe's injury, though the great canine was penned outside, something that had infuriated Kratos to no end.

At first she hadn't really understood it, Noishe had seemed like just a dog to her, but since she had started traveling with Kratos again she had learned a lot. Noishe wasn't just a dog; he was a person, especially to Kratos, who seemed to have few friends to begin with (the ones he did have constituted of a disgruntled man with blue hair, Noishe, and herself). Noishe was arguably his closest companion, but considering that Kratos was actually a 4000 year old angel, the fact that his best friend was a dog was hardly the most surprising thing about him.

Bored again, Anna threw herself onto the bed and buried her face into the pillow only so that she could scream as loudly as she wanted to without being heard. Four hours ago he'd left, promising a swift return. Really, she should have known better than to listen to take him at his word.

Kratos was impossible.

"Come on, Mr. Aurion, me and your sick dog are both waiting for you," she said to the ceiling, rolling over onto her back and swinging her legs back and forth just for something to do.

She was getting sorely tempted to leave now, to go and search for him, even though she knew in her heart of hearts that she wouldn't actually go. Still, she did entertain the idea, imagining Palmacosta in all its glory, paved streets so very different from the dirt roads of her childhood home. Even from the room she could smell the fresh food the street vendors sold, and it made her stomach growl.

Great, now she was hungry.

"He'd better bring food when she comes back," she muttered, standing again.

Anna strode across the room toward the door, not sure what she meant to do once she got there, but it suddenly burst open, revealing to her a very wild and disheveled looking Kratos, whose dark and frantic eyes scanned the room before settling on her.

The expression on his face chased all thoughts of eating from her mind, for she had seen it before, though only once, and it almost scared her to see it in him again, seemingly unprompted. For a moment she was suspended in his gaze, though the sound of the door clicking shut and his sudden, fluid step toward her sent time tumbling forward again.

With no warning other than a flash of white, his arm shot out to snake around her waist and pulled her none-too-gently toward his chest, face swooping down level with hers before seizing her lips in a fervent kiss. Her hands braced against his chest, knuckles clenched so tightly that they turned nearly as white as his shirt. Making a disgruntled noise, she pushed him, watching him slide away in shame.

"What the _hell_?" she demanded, not feeling even a bit guilty when remorse tore across his usually stolid features, "Kratos, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Just like that, he came unglued, his face paling several shades even as a blush rose to his cheeks. He reached for her again, but she batted his hand away, and his dark eyes narrowed, prominent brow knitting together, his own fists balling at his sides like mallets.

The air between them was charged, and she could see him stiffen, anger flickering through his eyes as he no doubt cursed himself. Momentarily he looked away from her, as if searching for an escape, but when he found none his eyes returned to her and he finally spoke. "Anna," his voice was unusually husky, unhinged, and she wondered what had happened to bring this on so suddenly. "Anna, _please_."

He was _begging._

That alone made her freeze. Never had he asked her for this, not like this, had never come to her begging and desperate, cheeks flushed with shame, eyes averted. She had never seen him like this, vulnerable and at the mercy of her word. She could turn him away and he wouldn't pursue her any further …

Her eyes focused as she saw him shift, exasperated, one of his hands reaching up as he raked it through his dark red hair, attention diverted for a moment. She watched the way he moved, recalling how possessive he could be, what his hands and lips could do, that this unsure and frenetic man was as skilled with his body as he was with a sword.

Anna's throat constricted at the thought, and his eyes darted toward her, as if he could sense the heat that washed over her from only the memory of his touch. She watched the hue of his irises visibly darken, could feel herself become shy as he stepped towards her once more, this time more cautiously, though somehow he seemed more intimidating as well.

Kratos arms reached out again, this time more slowly, drawing her to his chest once more. This time she noticed how strong his arms were, pinning the two of them together, though it was his lips that soon claimed her attention as he sealed their mouths together.

A growl escaped him, and he pushed her back, her legs hitting the back of the bed just as his mouth grew more insistent. His tongue ran over her lips, parting them so that he could join them at the mouth, pushing her backwards so that they both collapsed onto the bed. He hovered over her, supporting himself with one arm as the other hand reach out to massage her breast through her shirt.

Anna pushed her chest toward him, the fingers of her left hand lacing through his hair just in time for him to pull away, a trail of saliva connecting them. She didn't even have time to breathe before his lips were on her neck, his long, calloused fingers prying open her shirt eagerly. Dropping his weight, he pinned her to the mattress, other hand reaching down in an attempt to push off her pants.

She laughed at his mild frustration and annoyance when he realized that she was wearing a belt, but a sudden shift of attention from her neck to her exposed cleavage transformed her chuckles into stifled moans. She could feel him smirk against her skin and playfully smacked the back of his head, earning herself a smoldering glance that sent shivers up and down her spine.

"Kratos –" she began, though she was quickly silenced by his lips, even as his fingers finally managed to unbuckle her belt.

"There will be time to talk later," he whispered into her ear as he lifted her legs with one hand and pulled her pants off with the other. "But right now I tire of words."

His impatience made her hot, and she lifted her body up to kiss him again, wrapping an arm around his neck, her free hand reaching out to play with the top button of his shirt. He made a noise in the back of his throat, growling as he pushed her back onto the sheets and began to rock against her. Gasping and arching, she found herself suddenly eagerly clawing at his shirt in an attempt to get it off, something he was all too happy to oblige.

Never ceasing his movement, Kratos returned his attention to disrobing Anna, practically tearing away the remnants of her shirt to leave her torso bare before him. Not wasting a moment, he took one of her nipples into his mouth, and Anna found herself making appreciative noises, one hand reaching up to push his head closer.

Moaning deeply, Kratos rocked harder against her, making Anna cry out and claw at his back with her free hand. She felt him shiver, relenting his assault long enough to lick between her breasts, offering her a brief and oddly chaste kiss before reaching out a hand to tweak one of her nipples, the other hand disappearing to begin the removal of his own pants.

Anna shuddered, moving her hands to his shoulders, arching her back to rub more fully against him even as she felt him pull away slightly to discard his pants as best he could. But he returned a moment later, and she could finally feel fully how aroused he was. Whispering his name like an oath, she guided her hands down his sides until they rested on his hips, pulling herself more closely to his body to gyrate hard against him. Kratos' arm constricted about her, burying his face in her hair, his other hand reaching down to deftly begin to pull her last garment away.

He pulled away to fully remove the article of clothing and fling it carelessly across the room, looking down on her with a sudden hunger in his eyes. She shivered and leaned back her head, moaning when she felt his hand begin to rub against her, his mouth returning to her breasts as if drawn by magic.

Anna was prepared for it when his finger slipped inside of her body, but her throat still tightened and she moaned loudly, lifting her hips into his hand. Her breathing grew shallow, her slick body thrusting slowly into his hand as he pressed his searching finger deep within her. Above her Kratos groaned, and she knew he was imagining the same scene she was, a scene she couldn't wait to make reality.

"Kratos," she hissed, bucking more urgently into his hand. "Kratos please, no more waiting."

"Anna," he breathed, pulling away from her completely.

She watched with baited breath as he slipped away the final piece of clothing that kept them apart, admiring the pale skin of his stomach and thighs, anticipating the feeling of being joined together again. She wanted him so badly she could taste it, and took sudden pride in the thought that she could do this to him, that she alone held this sort of power over stoic Kratos Aurion.

In a moment he returned to her, spreading her legs wide before him, placing himself against her entrance only to rub against her, teasing. It was Anna's turn to growl in annoyance, thrusting against him, his tip sinking a bit into her each time. He gasped and his hands shot out to hold her still, his entire body suddenly heaving with pants of pleasure.

She knew that he was determined to remain in control, but she wouldn't be kept waiting any longer, and neither would he. Ceasing his teasing, he began to sink into her body, which welcomed him with little resistance, slick and ready. Kratos moaned deeply, and Anna gasped, wanting to pull herself closer to him, to touch every bare inch of her body to his.

His name escaped her lips in a strangled moan and her chest heaved as he finally came to rest within her, their hips touching. She could see his muscles tremble with energy begging to be released, and she wanted him, wanted him so badly that she shifted her hips, causing his fingers to dig deeply into her thighs.

Kratos didn't wait, beginning his assault on her body, his thrusts controlled at first, but less inhibited once she started moving with him. They shifted, his hands traveling down to cup her ass as she wrapped her legs around him, her arms encircling his neck so that they could kiss again and again, light breathless kisses.

Their eyes locked and he smiled, thrusting a bit harder and making her cry out, relishing the way he slowed down so that he could last and they both could reach their end. It was a surprisingly affectionate gesture that took her off guard just long enough for him to seize her lips fully in one, last bruising kiss before he sped up, changing his angle so that he hit her hard and fast.

Anna cried out, finally hitting her stride, her body arching upwards, convulsions shaking her to the core with him still inside of her, moving, his thrusts continuing for only a bit longer before he let out a strangled cry into her hair. She could feel him release inside of her, something strangely satisfying even through the fog her of pleasure addled mind, even as he went limp and her legs fell back to the bed with an exhausted thump.

They lie that way for some time before Kratos moved, pulling away and lifting her up slightly so that he could pull back the covers and wrap them about their sweat soaked bodies, chilly now that their bodies no longer irradiated heat. Soon, Anna found herself propped comfortably against his chest, his arm around her shoulder.

"So what was all this about, Mr. Aurion?" she asked teasingly after a comfortable silence, earning herself a typically contemplative and piercing stare, making her a bit uncomfortable. "What?" she said incredulously when she didn't receive an immediate response.

"Your eyes," he said. "They're such a beautiful shade of green."

"Let me get this straight," she laughed. "You found my eyes so arousing that you rushed all the way back here just to have sex with me?"

His attractive face turned slightly red and she laughed more heartily, earning herself a somewhat disgruntled glance in response. "It's not that. I was returning from administering first aide to Noishe when I heard some men talking about how beautiful one of the women staying here was, the one who never left her room without the escort of … Well, they called me a ruffian."

She snorted. "Go on. I'm listening, Kratos the Ruffian."

He snorted but continued his narration. "They talked about how much they would like to … Claim you, and not only did it make me angry, but it also made me … Jealous, I suppose, is the word. I found myself unable to bear the thought of you with another man."

"So you rushed down here to possessively claim me before another man swept me off my feet?" she arched here eyebrows at him, somewhat coolly amused at his reaction, though a bit hurt. "So you like doing this that much, then?"

"It's not just your body," he assured her suddenly. "In that moment, I realized my jealousy was born of the idea that you should treat any other man with the kindness you treat me, that any other man should get to share in your secrets, see the way you have dimples when you smile …" He flipped over so that he was on his side, facing her. "I realized that I," he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I realized that I love you, and in that moment I was overcome with an unbearable desire to be in your presence, so I returned here and … "

She placed a finger to his lips, feeling weak and giddy at the confession, not at all what she had expected. For a long time she had suspected, but the man was so dense that she'd been playing waiting games this entire time, patiently waiting for him to work it out on his own.

Laughing breathlessly, she kissed him again, finding his lips pliant and almost embarrassed against her own. "It's alright, Kratos," she admitted, brushing his hair out of his face. "I love you, too."

Anna hated waiting games, but sometimes the waiting was worth it.


End file.
